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The inability to compatibly resolve the two most important and basic theories (relativity and quantum throry) means we know either gravitation or quantum mech
by retrac 3y ago
The inability to compatibly resolve the two most important and basic theories (relativity and quantum throry) means we know either gravitation or quantum mechanics, or most likely both, are wrong, or at least incomplete, in the same way Newtonian mechanics was only partially right.
And that's been an embarrassment well-known for the last century. The word has a metaphorical use of the sore spot, that which sticks out, which is ugly, which is confusing or awkward. "This code is embarrassing" doesn't necessarily mean the author should literally feel embarrassment. It's just messy. (Yes, really. It's in the dictionary as a sense of the word.)
- jackmott42 3y agocharacterizing it as an "embarrassment" is silly. Maybe if there was a group of alien civilizations that had all figured it out early on while we didn't then sure.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- obscur 3y agoHe’s explicitly saying that it is not embarrassing in this sense and that it is rather that the discrepancy is ‘awkward’
- DemocracyFTW2 3y ago"An embarassment of riches", John Ozell, 1738
- sdfghswe 3y agoThis work has nothing whatsoever to do with gravitation.
- spiderice 3y agoThis feels like calling someone a "moron" and then when they get offended saying "You shouldn't be offended, literally everyone is a moron because nobody is competent in everything". What is the gain exactly in using language (like "embarrassing") that discourages mistakes and makes people feel worse about being wrong (even if they technically shouldn't). Plenty of better words exist. Side note, I would definitely feel embarrassed if someone publicly called my code "embarrassing". Even if I shouldn't.
- peteradio 3y agoPhysics is very grandiose in its goals I wouldn't compare it to your code. Embarrassment just means something to strive for in the physics colloquial.